The artist is the confidant of nature, flowers carry on dialogues with him through the graceful bending of their stems and the harmoniously tinted nuances of their blossoms. Every flower has a cordial word which nature directs towards him. ~Auguste Rodin
Every year about this time I remember one of my favorite quotes, unknown in source, that says, “If we live to be 100, we’ll get to witness Spring only 100 times.”
This year in Prague, spring tiptoed in. The dark grays and dreary colors so akin to the post-Communist world have clung tightly to winter, yet slowly we are seeing color return to the scene. Green in the grass in spots, a snowdrop flower bobbing in the breeze — yet adding the robin’s-egg blue sky and the warm sunshine, it feels like spring. She is coming!
I love the flowers of spring, and have taken several photos of recent bouquets to share … I can’t wait for the garden flowers to begin to bud and bloom. And yet, the anticipation of spring’s grand performance is part of the joy.
I wandered lonely as a cloud
That floats on high o’er vales and hills,
When all at once I saw a crowd,
A host, of golden daffodils;
Beside the lake, beneath the trees,
Fluttering and dancing in the breeze
Continuous as the stars that shine
And twinkle on the milky way,
They stretched in never-ending line
Along the margin of a bay:
Ten thousand saw I at a glance,
Tossing their heads in sprightly dance.
~William Wordsworth, “I Wandered Lonely as a Cloud,” 1804
I perhaps owe having become a painter to flowers. ~Claude Monet
It was one of those March days when the sun shines hot and the wind blows cold: when it is summer in the light, and winter in the shade. ~Charles Dickens
Everything is blooming most recklessly; if it were voices instead of colors, there would be an unbelievable shrieking into the heart of the night. ~Rainer Maria Rilke, Letters of Rainer Maria Rilke
Daffodils bring me endless joy — if only we could share the fragrance here! Of all of spring’s flowers, which are your favorite?
I have always loved hyacinths. They remind me of T S Elliot’s poem THE WASTELAND (happy, I know) but I imagine the hyacinth girl, and I think of spring returning, even in times of war or distress. I think of those little shoots pushing out of seeds, deep under the ground while the world is still cold and gray, and announcing spring one tiny bloom at a time.
I love that quote about 100 springs. Beautiful, inspiring post!
Erika,
Thank you– I love your phrase, “announcing spring one tiny bloom at a time.” Beautiful!
My favorite spring flowers are on the shrubs and trees. The forsythia makes me smile, the lilacs take me back to my childhood, and magnolia tree blossoms make me stop and take a deep, deep breath.
Your pictures are wonderful for a rainy day like we are having today. XO
Thank you, Hallie! You are so right, about the shrubs and trees. Flowers en masse. Magnolias… I miss them. We don’t have them here in Europe… Enjoy them for me!
Roses, definitely roses! Once again, your photos are amazing.
Thank you so much, JoDee! I agree. I always love roses.
Gorgeous! All of them! The tulips are my favorite though.
Thank you, Nina! I agree, tulips have that quiet beauty that is so unique.